


Caught Unawares

by OrdainedCrownie



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Big spoilers for episode 69, F/M, do not read if you haven't watched the episode, fluffy and cuteness I guess, with a slither of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-30
Updated: 2016-09-30
Packaged: 2018-08-18 16:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8168791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrdainedCrownie/pseuds/OrdainedCrownie
Summary: Summary withheld due to spoilers. All I will say is that it is an AU to a Perc'ahlia moment.





	

**Author's Note:**

> An AU what if Vex rolled a NAT 1 when in Percy's room to sneak the letter back into Percy's coat.

Percy stirred at the noise of a hand shuffling through paper and he slowly opened his eyes. He couldn’t see the figure at first, his eyes blurred at first adjusting to the dark room, but he could just make out a dark shape moving in the room.

 

At first he had panicked thinking it was Orthax and he sat bolt upright only to hear a startled feminine gasp and he reached out blindly to turn the oil lamp resting on the bedside table. He briefly heard paper crinkle until his eyes caught sight of a familiar elven woman moving forward into the warm flow of the candlelight looking back sheepishly at him.

 

“Vex?” his voice croaked and Vex reached for the glass on the table handing it to him with care, her fingers darting away once she was sure he had a tight grasp of it.

 

“Oh Percy. I was just checking to see-I hadn’t mean to wake you.”

 

His eyes narrowed, not believing her but gave himself time to respond as he sipped on the glass, as Vex stood above him wringing her hands. He glanced up saw her face was flushed which brought a curious thought to his head but he quickly dismissed it, patting the bed indicating wit his head for her to sit as he swung himself over the edge. He immediately regretted getting up so fast when his head spun and stars danced around his eyes.

 

“That was a mistake.” He rubbed his eyes holding the glass close to his chest as he waited for dizzy spell to end.

 

“Percy? Do you remember anything of the ritual?” Percy blearily glanced over to Vex whom was staring hard at her hands clamped in her lap.

Percy thought back to the moment the world went black before suddenly rising awake to see Vox Machina sitting over him crying with happiness much to his own sudden confusion until it had clicked. He had died. Ripley of all the people he was afraid of had actually managed to kill him. The same woman who was now apparently devoid of her arm and by the accounts of the group had been torn asunder by his friends.

 

He didn’t remember dying, only that it was a peaceful silence he hadn’t realised would be so unwelcome. He had been so prepared to walk away from them but had stubbornly stuck through despite the guilt that had amounted inside him from when he had…did kill Vex. He remembered the letter feeling heavy in his pocket when he had fallen the first time and when he had awoken he had patted his coat almost subconsciously to see if it was still there until he found his focus on Ripley as she reappeared. He realised he was actually scared; scared of losing everything he had worked towards to Ripley.

 

Percy shivered raising the hairs on his arms, forcing himself to dig his fingernails into his palm just remind him that he was still here and she wasn’t. It took a soft touch on his hand to remind him of Vex’s presence beside him.

 

“I don’t actually. “ Percy’s eyes darted, meeting hers and he saw for a brief second disappointment mixed with relief possibly.

 

“That’s good… “ Vex chuckled but he could hear a pang of sadness in her voice when she pulled her hand away to rub at her arm absently, hugging herself inwardly as she continued, sparing a glance to Percy. ”I mean you wouldn’t want to have listened to us cry and bleed our hearts out to you. I mean who would want that.”

 

Percy reached out and gently touched her hand still resting in her lap, feeling her jump beneath his touch. While she had healed most of her wounds with some help from Pike, she still bore some scars from the fight with Ripley. His fingers traced over the few he could touch feeling her tremble at the feeling of it.

 

“Thank you for seeing I was worth your-“

 

“Percy don’t say that. I-“ Vex paused mulling over her words of her response “We had to bring you back. You are one of us now and forever. I hope you remember that.” Vex now met his gaze again with renewed strength, clasping his hand between her fingers.

 

“I can’t imagine you will let me forget it.”

 

Vex giggled, squeezing his hand with a little more force than necessary. “No I can’t imagine I will.” She flashed him a bright smile and he felt himself reflexively follow suit before they started laughing.

 

It had been a while to laugh properly in such a long time. The weight of Ripley no longer hanging over his head but the weight of Orthax and the possibility of the guns Anna may have distributed still troubled him. But for now, he could relish in this one moment that despite all the dragons that were in the world, in this moment he could be happy.

 

Seeing Vex laugh, while not quite as rare as his own, was a sight to see as her cheeks flushed and her free hand covered her mouth but the smile still stretched her lips.  While she was always a guarded woman to read, something about her seemed different, like her own weight of guilt had been lifted.

 

He would ask her about it in time but right now he was damn tired, letting a yawn slip free, halting his laughing.

 

“I should let you rest.” Vex gently pulled the glass free of his hands, placing it aside on the table allowing Percy to struggle back into bed before turning the dial down on the lamp, leaving a dull glow to fill the room.

 

“Good night, Percival.”

 

“Good night, Vex’ahlia. We’ll talk about the letter in the morning and your hand in the ritual.” He heard a sharp noise of irritation escape her before she sighed heavily. He heard deliberate shuffling against the floorboards (whether this was deliberate or not he wasn’t sure) before he felt lips gently press into his hair just before he drifted off to sleep and quiet words were whispered into his ear before he heard the door click shut.

 

“I’m glad you are back.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not perfect but I had to get this out of my head because it wouldn't stop bugging me.


End file.
